Hamilton insists there is no tension with Rosberg

Hamilton added that good communications within the team had also made a difference, with both drivers and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff having insisted that the incident is now consigned to history.

"I think it's really just a showing of growth within Nico and I," said Hamilton. "We stood and spoke to each other today, and no problems.

"In the past there would have been some kind of tension of some sort, but it was pure respect. Just, 'We have still have all the respect for you,' and he said the same. We said, 'Let's just keep racing.'

"It doesn't change anything of how we're going to approach our racing. I think it's just we're getting old! We're good and our jobs and we know it, and we're getting older.

"It's always good to discuss things, so as a team we did, in Barcelona and then at the factory, I guess individually. And then with Nico I spoke just now. It's always good to, but I didn't feel we had to, because again we're in that frame of mind, there is no issue.

"You just move on and move forwards, there's nothing you can do about the past. But communication is really key in a large organisation. Clearing the air or just having a discussion has been positive for us."

Hamilton said he had not talked about the specifics of Barcelona with Rosberg: "We didn't talk through the incident, we didn't need to talk about it.

"We know what happened, we were there, we experienced it, we know how we felt about it before. But we're not like the more emotional beings on the planet who talk a lot about these things.

"We don't need to do that. We were arrived very cooled and chilled. As I said all we need to know is that the respect is still there. We're going to keep racing, everything's cool."

Different situation

The world champion admitted that the aftermath might have been very different had only one of the drivers retired, and the other gone on the score points.

"For sure it's a different situation. I can't tell you how it would have gone. But there would have been different emotions, different feelings, for sure. We've got 16 races to go, we've got a long career left of racing with one another.

"We've done pretty well in the God knows how many races we've done with this team not to collide to the detriment really of the team's result. You have to assume there's going to be more.

"We're going to do everything we can to avoid that, but we are competitors, and we're racing like that. At some stage there's going to be lots of close encounters, we're just going to make sure there's nothing in terms of affecting our results.

"Every scenario is different. This one is the one we are facing right now, and we're getting past it in a positive manner. Hopefully in the future we'll be better prepared. As I said emotions run differently, depending on the situation."